Multipositional apparatus for hanging things

ABSTRACT

Multipositional apparatus for hanging articles such as ties, belts, shoes, bras, hats, etc. includes a flexible main body comprising a series of intertwined rigid links including a first end link, a series of intermediate links and a second end link, as well as a plurality of hooks that project from the links, including at least several intermediate hooks that project perpendicularly from a segment of the series of intermediate links and including an end hook projecting from the first end link. The hooks have a straight portion and a curved portion, the curved portion shaped so as to receive articles or to be hung on a projecting member. The straight portion of the end hook is aligned collinearly with an axis of the nearest segment of the series of intermediate links. The entire apparatus is suitable for being hung by a selected hooks which may be any of several hooks and is adjustable in length and shape by virtue of which hook is the selected hook to hang the apparatus on. If the apparatus is hung by an end hook or by the intermediate nearest the end hook all of the remaining nonselected hooks face upward and can be used to hang articles. If any of several other of the intermediate hooks is the selected hook, then most or all but one of the remaining nonselected hooks face upward and can be used to hang articles. The hooks are common metal hooks used in clothes hangers.

This invention relates to apparatus for hanging clothing and accessoriesand the like and more particularly to apparatus that are hung on anyprojecting member, such as a peg on the door or wall of a clothescloset.

Clothes closets have limited space. Items such as hats, ties, belts,shoes, bras etc. are hard to store. It would be very helpful to have adevice for the storage of all of these items.

Sometimes, a hanging device is satisfactory but there is no room for itbecause it is too long. It would be advantageous to have a device forhanging items such as hats, ties, belts, shoes, bras, etc. that isadjustable in size and shape.

Various devices may be available on which to hang clothing andaccessories such as hats, ties, belts, bras etc. but the cost ofmanufacturing them makes their price less attractive, they are toocomplex and/or they are not adjustable in size and shape. For example,U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,865 to Batts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,838 toCampbell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,043 to Bowen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,553 toIbled and U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,841 to Beaty disclose various apparatusfor hanging accessories.

The present invention can be made out of standard metal clothes hangersand a chain and is adjustable. It consists of a main body made of achain and has hooks protruding from various links in the chain. Theapparatus of the present invention can be held up and hung from its endhook or from various intermediate hooks. The selection of the hook willdetermine the size and shape of the apparatus while it is in operation.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

The following important objects and advantages of the present inventionare:

-   -   (1) to provide a device for conveniently hanging clothing and        accessories such as ties, belts, hats, bras, shoes,    -   (2) to provide a device that allows hanging clothing and        accessories such as listed above that can be adjusted in length        and shape, and    -   (3) to provide a device for hanging hats, ties, belts, shoes,        bras, etc. that is so simple to construct that it can be made by        anyone out of simple metal clothes hangers and simple chains.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus of the present invention readyto be hung by the end hook.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of the present invention ready tobe hung by the end hook.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an alternative configuration showing theapparatus of the present ready to be hung by an intermediate hook.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In order to better understand the present invention in conjunction withthe drawings of FIGS. 1-3, the apparatus of the present invention isassigned reference numeral 10 and its elements are described andassigned the reference numerals identified below. FIG. 1 depicts a frontview showing the primary configuration of the multipositional apparatus10 of the present invention for hanging articles of clothing or thelike. In that configuration the apparatus 10 can be hung by what will bedescribed below as its end hook. FIG. 3 is a front view of analternative configuration of the apparatus 10.

As seen from FIGS. 1-3, the main body 20 of apparatus 10 is flexible andis made of a series of intertwined rigid links 20 including a first endlink 20a, a series of intermediate links 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, 20f, 20g,20h, 20i, 20j, 20k, 20l, 20m, 20n, 20o, 20p, 20q, 20r, 20s, 20t, 20u,20v, 20w, 20x, 20y, 20z and a second end link 20zz, a plurality of hooks30 soldered to and projecting from links 20, including at least severalintermediate hooks 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f that project perpendicularlyfrom a segment 24 of the series of intermediate links 20b, 20c, 20d, 20eetc. Besides soldering, hooks 30 may be connected to rigid links 20 mayby any suitable means.

End hook 30a projects from the first end link 20a. Hooks 30 each containa straight portion 32 and a curved portion 34. Curved portion 34 isshaped so as to receive articles and to be hung on a projecting membersuch as a peg or other rodlike projection (not shown). Accordingly, endhook 30a projects from first end link 20a such that the straight portion32 of end hook 30a is aligned collinearly with an imaginary axis of thesegment 24 of the series of intermediate links 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e etc.that is nearest end hook 30a.

Apparatus 10 can be hung up on a wall or door or elsewhere where thereis a peg or other projection by placing one of the hooks 30 of apparatus10. Apparatus 10 is adjustable in length and shape and is configurableso that more than one hook can be selected to hang the apparatus on andstill allow either all of the remainder or, in some configurations mostof the remainder, of the plurality of hooks 30 to face upward andthereby allow articles to be hung easily on the curved portions thereof.Depending on which hook 30 is used to hang apparatus 10 on, the shape orconfiguration of apparatus 10 changes. The apparatus 10 of the presentinvention permits one to select a hook 30 that allows all or most of theremaining hooks 30 to be facing upward and be able to receive articlesfor hanging. Due to the configuration of the hooks on apparatus 10, mostof the hooks 30 of apparatus 10 are suitable for this.

It should be noted that the best position of hooks 30 for hangingaccessories or clothing is that with the curved portions 34 of hooks 30facing upward. When curved portion 34 of a particular hook 30 is facingdownward, the item can still be hung but the possibility of slipping offthe hook 30 is much greater.

In its primary configuration as seen in FIG. 1, when end hook 30a isselected to be the hook on which apparatus 10 is hung, i.e. is theselected hook, intermediate hooks 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f (allnonselected hooks) face upward which allows articles such as ties,belts, bras, hats etc. to be hung on the curved portion 34 ofintermediate hooks 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f. When the apparatus 10 ishung by intermediate hook 30b, i.e., when intermediate hook 30b is theselected hook, intermediate hook 30b being the intermediate hook nearestthe end hook 30a, then end hook 30a and intermediate hooks 30c, 30d,30e, 30f face upward and allow articles to be hung on the curved portion34 of end hook 30a and intermediate hooks 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f When theapparatus is hung by intermediate hook 30c, i.e. intermediate hook 30cis the selected hook, the configuration depicted in FIG. 3, then endhook 30a and intermediate hooks 30d, 30e, 30f face upward thus allowingarticles to be hung on the curved portion 34 of end hook 30a andintermediate hooks 30d, 30e, 30f Only intermediate hook 30b facesdownward. Finally, when the apparatus is hung by intermediate hook 30d,i.e. intermediate hook 30d is the selected hook, then end hook 30a andintermediate hooks 30c, 30e, 30f face upward thus allowing articles tobe hung on the curved portion 34 of end hook 30a and intermediate hooks30c, 30e, 30f. Only intermediate hook 30b faces downward.

Thus apparatus 10 can be configured in length and shape depending uponhow much room exists where the apparatus is being hung. For example, ifapparatus 10 is hung near the floor, configuration depicted in FIG. 3,with hook 30c being used to hang apparatus 10, is preferable to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 1 since the length of apparatus 10 isshortened when configured as seen in FIG. 3.

It is contemplated by the present invention that apparatus 10 of thepresent invention can be designed with additional or fewer links 20 fromthose links 20 shown in FIGS. 1-3 so that main body 10 is longer orshorter. Furthermore, apparatus 10 can also be designed with additionalhooks beyond 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f or with fewer hooks. Ifadditional hooks 30g, 30h, etc. are included in apparatus 10 they may beplaced on any suitable link 20. Preferably, additional hooks 30g, 30hshould be placed on links 20 so that they face upward and allow articlesto be hung thereon when apparatus 10 is configured in as manyconfigurations as possible.

It is to be understood that while the apparatus of this invention havebeen described and illustrated in detail, the above-describedembodiments are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention.It is to be understood also that various other modifications and changesmay be devised by those skilled in the art which will embody theprinciples of the invention and fall within the spirit and scopethereof. It is not desired to limit the invention to the exactconstruction and operation shown and described. The spirit and scope ofthis invention are limited only by the spirit and scope of the followingclaims.

1. A multipositional apparatus for hanging articles of clothing,accessories and the like, comprising: a flexible main body comprising aseries of intertwined rigid links including a first end link, a seriesof intermediate links and a second end link, at least one link in theseries of intermediate links having no hook projecting therefrom, aplurality of hooks soldered to and projecting from the links, includingat least several intermediate hooks that project perpendicularly from asegment of the series of intermediate links and including an end hookprojecting from the first end link, said hooks containing a straightportion and a curved portion, said curved portion shaped so as toreceive articles or to be hung on a projecting member, the straightportion of said end hook aligned collinearly with an axis of a segmentof the series of intermediate links nearest said end hook, the apparatusbeing adjustable in length and shape and configurable so that more thanone hook can be selected to hang the apparatus and still allow most of aremainder of the plurality of hooks to face upward and thereby allowarticles to be hung on the curved portion of said remainder of theplurality of hooks.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the links andthe hooks are made of metal and wherein the plurality of hooks aresoldered to the links.
 3. A multipositional apparatus for hangingarticles of clothing, accessories and the like, comprising: a flexiblemain body comprising a series of intertwined rigid links including afirst end link, a series of intermediate links and a second end link, aplurality of hooks soldered to and projecting from the links, includingat least several intermediate hooks that project perpendicularly from asegment of the series of intermediate links and including an end hookprojecting from the first end link, said hooks containing a straightportion and a curved portion, said curved portion shaped so as toreceive articles or to be hung on a projecting member, the straightportion of said end hook aligned collinearly with an axis of a nearestsegment of the series of intermediate links, the apparatus beingadjustable in length and shape and configurable so that it is hung by aselected hook, the remaining hooks being nonselected hooks, allnonselected hooks facing upward and allowing articles to be hung on thecurved portions of said nonselected hooks when the apparatus isconfigured so that the end hook is the selected hook, all nonselectedhooks facing upward and allowing articles to be hung on the curvedportions of said nonselected hooks when the apparatus is configured sothat the intermediate hook nearest the end hook is the selected hook,and all except one nonselected hook facing upward and allowing articlesto be hung on the curved portions of said all except one nonselectedhooks when the apparatus is configured so that the selected hook is oneof two intermediate hooks other than the intermediate hook nearest theend hook.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the links and the hooksare made of metal.
 5. A multipositional apparatus for hanging articlesof clothing, accessories and the like, comprising: a flexible main bodycomprising a series of intertwined rigid links including a first endlink, a series of intermediate links and a second end link, a pluralityof hooks soldered to and projecting from the links, including at leastseveral intermediate hooks that project perpendicularly from a segmentof the series of intermediate links and including an end hook projectingfrom the first end link, said hooks containing a straight portion and acurved portion, said curved portion shaped so as to receive articles orto be hung on a projecting member, the straight portion of said end hookaligned collinearly with an axis of a nearest segment of the series ofintermediate links, the apparatus being adjustable in length and shapeand configurable so that it is hung by a selected hook, the remaininghooks being nonselected hooks, all nonselected hooks facing upward andallowing articles to be hung on the curved portions of said nonselectedhooks when the apparatus is configured so that the end hook is theselected hook, all nonselected hooks facing upward and allowing articlesto be hung on the curved portions of said nonselected hooks when theapparatus is configured so that the intermediate hook nearest the endhook is the selected hook, and all except one nonselected hook facingupward and allowing articles to be hung on the curved portions of saidall except one nonselected hooks when the apparatus is configured sothat the selected hook is one of several intermediate hooks other thanthe intermediate hook nearest the end hook.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5,wherein the links and the hooks are made of metal.
 7. A method ofhanging articles of clothing and/or accessories, comprising: providing amultipositional apparatus, said multipositional apparatus comprising aflexible main body comprising a series of intertwined rigid linksincluding a first end link, a series of intermediate links and a secondend link, a plurality of hooks projecting from the links, including atleast several intermediate hooks that project perpendicularly from asegment of the series of intermediate links and including an end hookprojecting from the first end link, said hooks containing a straightportion and a curved portion, said curved portion shaped so as toreceive articles or to be hung on a projecting member, the straightportion of said end hook aligned substantially collinearly with an axisof a segment of the series of intermediate links nearest said end hook,the apparatus being adjustable in length and shape and configurable sothat more than one hook can be selected to hang the apparatus and stillallow most of a remainder of the plurality of hooks to face upward andthereby allow articles to be hung on the curved portion of saidremainder of the plurality of hooks, and hanging article of clothingand/or accessories on the apparatus.
 8. The method of claim 7, whereinproviding the apparatus involves providing an apparatus wherein thelinks and the hooks are made of metal and wherein the plurality of hooksare soldered to the links.